Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing, has released the following statement in response to the City of Prince George’s decision to decamp individuals at Millennium Park:

“I am disappointed to learn of Prince George council’s decision to move forward with the decampment of people who are sheltering at Millennium Park without adequate indoor shelter options.

“Addressing homelessness in Prince George is a critical priority for our government, and we know that encampments are not a long-term solution. That’s why the Province signed a memorandum of understanding with the city in June, with significant resources to ensure those in need in Prince George will have access to shelter. We had offered Prince George new resources like dedicated encampment response staff and deployment of temporary housing units to the community. Despite that, council has chosen not to access those resources to assist people living in Millennium Park to move indoors and to move unilaterally with this decampment – in the absence of appropriate resources.

“It’s especially disappointing given the positive work we have done with Mayor Simon Yu and the city on other supportive housing projects that are currently underway.

“We will do what we can to try to ensure as many people as possible are supported and have shelter, but this decision presents significant challenges. We’ll continue to monitor this situation closely and urge council to reconsider this decision.”